Nor'easters Upset Pro Team, Advance To U.S. Open Cup Third Round

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Just call them The Road Warriors. The Ocean City Nor’easters men’s soccer team won its third straight road game Wednesday night.

This time around, Ocean City upset professional side Charlotte Independence, of the United Soccer League (USL), 3-1, in the second round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, N.C.

Kyle Gurrieri scored twice within the first 10 minutes for the Nor’easters to give the team the early edge and eventual win. Fredinho Mompremier added Ocean City's third goal just before halftime.

Jorge Herrera scored early in the second half for Charlotte, but the Nor’easters defense stiffened and Ocean City held on for the win.

"We are very happy with our win tonight," Nor'easters head coach John Thompson said. "It was an extremely hard fought game. It's never easy to play on the road, especially when you have weather delays but our boys were professional from the first to the last minute."

And what does Ocean City get for its troubles? Another road trip, and a return to the state of North Carolina for the third round.

Ocean City will visit North Carolina FC, another USL side, in the third round of the 105th edition of the oldest cup competition in the United States. North Carolina FC defeated Lansdowne Bhoys FC, out of New York, 3-0, on Wednesday night. Ocean City will make the trip to Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park on Tuesday, May 22, 7 p.m.

The Nor’easters can’t just stay in North Carolina, though. They have a Premier Development League matchup against the Long Island Rough Riders at St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, NY, set for Saturday night, May 19, 7 p.m. They also have a league road game scheduled for next Wednesday, May 23, against Lehigh Valley United at JBC Stadium in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Is Your Dog The Best? Enter Patch's Top Dog In NJ Contest And Win Prizes

Home may be where the heart is, but Ocean City has found plenty of early season success on the road.
Ocean City defeated AFC Ann Arbor, 3-0, in the first round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Eastern Michigan University on May 9.

The Nor’easters then spent Mother’s Day in Brooklyn, NY, where they rallied for a 2-1 win over FA Euro New York at the Aviator Sports Complex.

Ocean City’s home opener at Carey Stadium (The Beach House) will take place on Sunday night, June 3.
Ocean City’s win over Charlotte was its sixth upset of a professional team. It was their first on the road, as the other five were shutouts in front of their home fans, outscoring the pros by a combined score of 10-0.

The first pro upset came in 2005 with a 4-0 win over the Long Island Rough Riders (USL-2). The next two upsets came in 2007 and 2009 against the same team, Crystal Palace Baltimore. In 2009, they pulled off a second straight stunner with a 1-0 extra time win over the Real Maryland Monarchs (USL-2). That earned them a date with DC United of Major League Soccer (MLS). They traveled to Maryland and lost a close 2-0 decision to the defending Open Cup champions.

In 2013, the Nor'easters claimed their fifth professional victim with a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, before they fell to the Philadelphia Union (MLS) in the third round.

In that game, Emmanuel Kollie scored a 90th minute equalizer for Ocean City at PPL Park, but their upset hopes were dashed when the Union scored a controversial game-winner in second half stoppage time.

Ocean City is one of the more successful amateur teams in the country when it comes to the U.S. Open Cup, behind only fellow PDL squads the Michigan Bucks and the Des Moines Menace. Ocean City now has 12 wins in nine U.S. Open Cup appearances, one shy of tying for second place.

They were 1-1 in last year’s tournament, defeating Junior Lone Star FC, 3-1, and falling to Harrisburg on sudden death penalty kicks.

Modeled after England's FA Cup, the US Open Cup is the second-oldest continually-operating soccer tournament in the world and has been the national championship for the United States since it launched in 1913. The tournament is open to professional and amateur teams from MLS to Sunday beer league teams and everything in between. The tournament winner will receive $300,000 and a spot in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League.

For more on the tournament, including second round results and all matchups for the third round, visit thecup.us.

Image via Shutterstock